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Placencia
'''[[Placencia|Placencia]]'''= General Placencia is a sleepy little village popular with tourists for nice beaches. Very safe feel. Guiness book of records lists Placencia as having the narrowest main street in the world. It is the sidewalk that starts at the ice house and goes for several miles. Nice anchorage, you can get in after dark from the south if you have no other choice. Anchor in 20 feet of water. Dingy in to the shell dock and tie up. Lock your dingy at night. The dock is locked many times at 1830. US dollars accepted. Easy ATM access. Reliable services. Internet at several cafes and Placencia office supply. - '''Tempest''' Thanks to Tempest for their comprehensive input on Placencia. =Safety/Security/Emergency= VHF Radio *Cruisers standby in Placencia on VHF 68 and 16 SSB Radio *NW Caribbean Net 6209 USB(6212/6516 alternative channels) 8 AM local *Mobile Maritime Net 14,300 USB Emergency Contacts ''Need to find and add'' =Check in & out = Port Captain Clear in at Big Creek with your boat. Beach the dingy, do not tie up at the banana dock. If you anchor first in Placencia and go by Hokey Pokey to Independence, they will tell you to bring your boat '''or pay''' to have Port captain, Immigration, '''Customs''' and Baja (agriculture) taxied to Placencia, about $125. At Big Creek, all the crew goes to Immigration at the police station, then to Customs. *Usually port captain is there. *No fee to clear in, but a $90BZ fee to clear out. *Then you visit Baja (agriculture) if clearing in an animal or bringing in fruit. *Beach your dingy. Don't tie up to the Banana boat dock.c *UPDATE 2016 *we were turned away at big creek..probably related to new cruise boat terminal at Harvest cay. *anchored in front of Placencia, protection from Placencia Cay, *we took hokey pokey and a taxi. we saw customs,immigration, BPA, BAHA. bring photocopies of documents.then taxi and hokey pokey back *excellent, friendly, Immigration See Above *1/22/09 '''''Tempest''''' reports that boats checking in need to bring their boat all the way back into Big Creek so that the officals can board the boat for inspections. If you don't the cost will be $125 for them to come to your boat in Placencia. Animals into country Belize requires permit in advance of arrival. Several options *2/04/09 '''''Gary Kaija & 'Doc' of S/v KaijaSong''''' report this process can be somewhat frustrating but is not difficult... once you have the required form. Getting the form is the hard part. The import form was only received via Fax with the assistance of a direct telephone call from the manager of the El Cid Marina in Puerto Moreles Mexico. Mario (the manager) made repeated telephone calls speaking in fluent Spanish (which seemed a requirement) even tho Belize is supposedly English speaking. Please check the BAHA website for current telephone and email contact information as it changes. Yes there is a webpage for the Belize Agriculture Health Authority (BAHA) but it does not come up easily and they did not respond to our repeated email requests for 'the form' required to import your pet. In fact, after each email request we received a notice that their mailbox was full. Finally, with faxed form in hand, (which we had faxed back to Belize) we presented ourselves to the immigration and health authorities along with current health certificates including rabies and annual shots (a must have). The fee for importing our pet dog with forms was $50. The fee for importing without forms is said to be a 'fine' of $100 plus a fee of $50. This was our experience in 2006. To help make your experience a little easier please refer to the following website for links to open the 'PERMIT APPLICATION FORM' as well information and phone/fax numbers to enable contact and completion of your pet import process. http://www.baha.bz/animal_health.html Good Luck and Happy Trails. =Visa Extensions= Visa extensions can be obtained at immigration at Mango creek (Independence) only on Thursdays. Phone number for Big Creek Immigration is 523-2022. Another way to extend is to take the bus to Dangriga ($9BZ each way), where the Immigration office is about 200 meters from the bus station, on the same side of the street. Cost is $50BZ each for 30 days. Then you have to go to Big Creek customs for the boat extension, which is free. The best way to take the bus is form Independence. Take the Hokey Pokey to Independence, then ask for the bus station which is nearby, but not labeled. Bus leaves hourly. Otherwise there is a bus from Placencia at 0615 that travels 24 miles of brutal road to the highway, where it is passed by the bus from Independence. Your butt will be glad you went the way from Dangriga. *1/28/09 '''Kristana''' says Big Creek immigration does not do renewals *3/24/10 MOBETAH renewed immigration at Independence ($50BZ/person) and took taxi ($20/BZ round trip) to Big Creek for boat extension (free). Did not have to take boat to Big Creek. Went from Placencia on Hokey Pokey water taxi. =Local News and Weather= Local news times on Love FM are 0650 and hourly except at noon, when it is 1230. The Belize Met website is www.hydromet.gov.bz They have a 3 day forecast, very general. This is the same forecast as Love FM. Love has great coverage during hurricanes. =Yacht Club/Marinas= Yacht Club There is a developing yacht club, Depth about 8 feet on Placencia cay. Electric and water available. '''Tranquillo''' bar Wed-Sun open evenings for food. No showers. Contact Rob on Seaker on 13 or sometimes NW net or in town at Let’s go sailing office. Tranquillo now has Karaoke, DJ's and live music Tuesday through Sunday. It can be extremely loud in the evenings so unless you want to join the party, anchor far away from here. =Transportation= Taxis Cabs can be found at Shell station and airport. No meters. Very few places to need a cab for except the airport or resorts. To airport cab fare should be $6 BZ each to airport. Buses Airports 2 airlines, both fly Cessna Caravan planes. Both fly almost hourly. '''Maya Island Air''' and '''Tropic air'''. Connections throughout Belize. Check the web for prices and times. Cab fare should be $6 BZ each to airport. =Hospitals/Clinics= There is a national medical clinic next to the elementary school. It is not staffed by a doctor at all times, but the care appears competent. Call 622-7648 to speak to the nurse, make an appointment, or find out when the doctor is in. Donations are welcomed. Cruisers may or may not be charged. *Acupuncture is available from Dr. Theodore (Ted) Berlin located across from the ball field, in the buildings just next to the Youth center and on the other side Rumfish bar. Pharmacies The Pharmacy is over Wallen’s, across from the ball field. =Dentist= =Fuel= Fuel Docks Gasoline and Diesel can be bought at the Shell station or dock. Depth at the dock is 8 feet. =Groceries= Ice Ice can be bought at the fishermans coop in the green building across from the ice house for $1 BZ for 5lbs. Bring a container or buy a bag for a shilling (??). Ice can sometimes be bought at the Shell station for $2 BZ a bag. The shilling for ice is for a bag to carry the ice in. A shilling is 25 cents BZ. Paradise Resort, $1.50 BZ per bag. Grocery Stores There are 4 main grocery stores in the village. *'''Veronicas''' is by the point, on the right just past the Shell station. Open 7 days. The produce market is first, then the tienda. *'''Wallen’s''' supermart is across from the ball field. Open 7 days, but only until noon on Sundays and Thursdays. Nice meats and cheeses. Try the fajita meat. *There is a small market with no name in a three story concrete building across from the police station. *'''Everyday market''' is across from Scotia bank, past the police station and the closed blues club. Produce is best bought at Veronicas or from the truck which comes Thursday and Sunday and can be found usually at the ball field. They also have nice bread and cheeses. Meat & Fish Markets See '''Wallen's''' above =Miscellenous= Mail and Package delivery Mail office is at the far end of the village next to Barefoot Golf cart rentals and the social security office, past the Scotia bank on the opposite side of the street. You can get mail and packages general delivery. Mail comes in and leaves by Tropic air. Fedex delivers to the Placencia airport. Banks & ATM's Exchange is $1US =$2BZ *'''Belize Bank''' with separate ATM on the point, *'''Atlantic Bank''', ATM across from Veronicas, Bank is almost to the airport. *'''Scotia Bank''' is past the Police station on the right. ATM 24 hrs. Trash Trash can be deposited in the green bin between the Shell dock and the Shell station. It is $5 a bag, so put everything in as big a trash bag as you have, and only make large deposits. This fee is collected by a young man, well dressed, who will give you a receipt. He does work for the water board, who is responsible for trash pickup as well. You can also pay at the waterboard office, below the water tower, about a mile walk if you want the exercise. The fee is the same as a family pays for a week, so we are treated as one of the community. Please support Placencia's effort to control trash. They have a landfill and do not burn or throw trash in the ocean. Vet clinic is usually the 3rd weekend of the month. Laundry There is a Laundromat at '''Buccaneer''', across from the fisherman’s coop and next to the ice house. $4 for each washer and dryer load. Internet is available there for $8BZ an hour. Internet '''Buccaneer''', across from the fisherman’s coop and next to the ice house. Internet is available there for $8BZ an hour. Free Internet for customers at '''Yolis Bar, Paradise Resort '''(restaruant & bar), '''Above Grounds Coffee Shop.''' Diesel Mechanic Diesel mechanic Jaime Aleman 720 2125 Home, 625-9590. He is head mechanic for Moorings and works after hours. Refrigeration Refrigeration repair- Doran’s Services, Doran Yount, American expat, 670-4130. dorans_service@yahoo.com. Veterinary Vet care clinics two weekends a month, Saturday and Sunday sponsored by the '''Humane society'''. Mornings are for surgery, afternoons are a walk-in clinic. They can do international health certificates for travel. Be sure to join the Humane society and buy a tee shirt to help support this worthy cause. All types of animals accepted, dogs on leash, cats in carriers. Also sell travel carriers. Dry pet food is available in town at the markets. Some animal medications are available at the clinic. Propane Propane gas is delivered and filled by truck almost daily. You can wave the truck down if you are lucky, or call 222-2315 to meet them and fill your tank Marine Supplies Marine supplies '''El Capitan''' behind the Shell station has some supplies, especially stainless hardware, fishing supplies, NGK spark plugs, oil and simple supplies. Batteries, including AGM can be purchased from Wallen’s. They can order them from Belize city and transport them to Placencia.''''' Sanderling''''' did this in Dec. 09. Hardware *'''Wallen’s''' (next to Market-green building) M and M next to Hokey Pokey , and *'''PBS''' next to the airport. Note all stores are limited in selection and quality. Computer repair Computer repair is available from Paul, the owner of '''Bucaneer''', a former cruiser. Battery Sources Alternator Repair=